Vibrating retort



Jan. 26, 1954 D. PETlT VIBRATING RETORT 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Dec. 50, 1947 T T HP 6 F T L w 2 M w w I Jan. 26, 1954 Filed Dec. 50, 1947 D. PETIT VIBRATING RETORT 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 I o o o INVENTOR. DQNILL. 1 57-17? e TTOA/d 7,

Jan. 26, 1954 D. PETlT VIBRATING RETORT 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Dec. 30, 1947 INVENTOR. DA NIEL Per: 7'

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Patented Jan. 26, 1954 a UNITED sTATs ATENT. OFFICE VIBRATING RETORT Daniel Petit, Paris, France, assignor to Societe de Technique Industriele, Paris, France Application December 30, 1947, Serial No. 794,735 Claims. (01. 202 119) An object of the present invention is, to pro vide an oven specially designed for the low temperature distillation of all fuels, but, particularly, of nonmeltable or slightly meltable coals, to obtain a powdered semi-coke; this semi-coke is meant for mixtures with a view to manufacturing metallurgical coke from coals having a high content in volatile substances or for other applications.

The ovens used heretofore to this effect offer various drawbacks, and especially the following:

(1) The mechanical parts operate at the temperature of carbonization which is of the order of 500 to 600 C.

(2) The mechanical parts are complicated.

(3) The speed of carbonization is low, in spite of the mixing devices used.

An object of the present invention is to obviate these drawbacks, namely, by making it possible to keep the coal grains always in a condition of mutual motion, these grains, so to speak, remaining in suspension in the hot atmosphere of the distillation chamber, their surface thus being integrally subjected to the radiation of the heating walls. This facilitates the thermal exchanges and decreases or eliminates the possibilities of fouling.

A distillation oven making it possible to achieve the above objects presents the characteristics resulting from the following description, and, more especially from the appended claims.

A distillation oven in accordance with the invention is shown by way of example in the appended drawings wherein:

Figure 1 shows the distillation oven in longitudinal section.

Figure z shows a transverse section of the oven of Figure 1 along line II--II of said figure.

Figure 3 shows, in horizontal section, the body of the oven of Figure 1.

Figure 4 shows a partial elevation of another type of embodiment of the oven of Figure 1.

In the oven of Figure l, the coal is brought to hopper I by a conveying apparatus 2. Its fall" in chute 3 is controlled by a variable output distributor 4. From chute 3, the coal falls on the vibrating conveyor which comprises a series of chutes 5, 6, 1, 8, 9 and I6 sloping in a downward circuitous path and arranged in such a manner that the coal may flow, due to the slope and the vibrations, from chute 3 to the output chute ll.

During its conveying, the coal is distilled and it reaches the output aperture II in the conditionof semi-coke. After going through a sifter 12 it falls into a hopper l3 whence it is carried away by a conveyor l4. A hand operated plug.

I5 makes it possible to isolate the sifter from the hopper.

The arrangement of movable chutes 5, 6, I, 8,

9, I0 is connected by two yokes I6 and I1 so as to hang from rods 18. These rods go through the horizontal door closing the oven through the action of a flexible metal sheet diaphragm 20 which allows the vertical vibrations of the rods while avoiding any exit of the gases.

A sleeve 2| connects the lower part of rod l8 to the upper part 19 so as to facilitate dismantling.

The whole is supported by a frame 22 resting on two side trestles 23.

Between the frame 22 and the rod l9 are provided springs 24 and 25 whose tension may be adjusted at will, so that the conveyor assembly may be subjected to a vertical vibration motion by the action of a device 26 driven by a motor 21.

This vibration device 26 may comprise a weight system, or a cam or an eccentric. It may be replaced by an electro-magnet supplied with alternating current.

The conveyor 5, 6, 1, 8, 9, I0 is located inside a cell whose general arrangement resembles that of a coke oven.

The uprights of this cell, which may comprise corrugated or ribbed walls are formed of a series of vertical fiues 29 comprising burners supplied with gas from the pipings 30 and with hot air from the recuperator and brought through the The fumes escape through an horizontal upper i channel 32 to come and circulate vertically inside a recuperator 33 and then flow to the chimney through. a flue 34. The hot air produced in this recuperator is brought to the burners through the fines 3|.

The lower part of the chamber terminates in two hoppers 35 opening on the sifters 36 making it possible to recover the stray dust escaping from the conveyor without any risk of inflammation.

The upper part of the cell is closed by a door comprising a cast iron frame 31 packed with gether with its frame 22 is very easily removed. The door is then removed by means of the same traverserv39, then, finally, the conveyor 5, 6,1,

the distillation chamber two uprights 28, then two walls of refractory products 53 and two false abutments of red bricks or concrete 44 separated from the refractory products Gaby an insulating layer 45.

The oven itself is supported on a concreteslab V 46 which allows an easy circulation underneath. The cleansing of the surface of the conveyor may be effected by periodically inserting, in place of :thefuel orreve'ri if deemednecessary, by sy's tematically. mixing with the latter small metallic masses which by their energetic friction will'polish the metal and make it or keep it fit for the regular conveyance of the fuel. I

These metallic masses would be-sep'arated-from the powdered semi c'olre, at the outlet from the oven-by simplepassage on a fixed grid or on a movable sifter. Theirre-insertion'at' the head of'the conveyor can be efiected mechanically and automatically.- c

To this effect, the metallic masses are introduced in an inclined-* chute provided with a device preventing the escapin of the gases or the entrance of air and consisting for instance of a flap.

At the outlet, the semi-coke passes on a grid 48' and-goes through it,- while the metallic massesgo outside througha chute '49, after also going through agas' tight aperture.-

'A ny device, for instance a smallbucket chain makes it possible to bring back the metallic masses in chute 41 The above described distillation oven offers numerous advantages-and especially the following:

1. No mechanical part works atthe' carboniz'ati'oh' temperature-of the order of 500' to- 600 '0.

2; The fme fueisare treated under such condi tions that the speed of ,carbonization' much higher than in-theformer methc'ds' of mass carboniz ati'on, whatever themixing" device used.

3. The'chancesof fouling of thesurfa'ce' of the conveyor by the adherence-of fuel" grains more or less softened" or tarry are" extremely reduced, precisely in the ratio of the time of contact between" the grams and the surface of the conveyor which is" constantly bombarded by' the falling" of the grains at eachpe'rio'd of vibration.

Theabcwefdescribed oven allows the treatment of 'nonmeltable" or slightly meltable coals.

This oven also makes it possible to treat: the meltable coals provided they are previously treatedso astolo'se all or part of their meltability.

Tofacilitate the transmission of the heat, the walls of the cell may be corrugated or may comprise ribs. They are generally built with refractory materials but they also may be builtofcast iron or any metal.

The heated; cell may contain one: or several conveyors. V

superheated-steam or any other flu'id may be introduced into the cell. to facilitate thetrans mission ofhe'at.

The output of;an oven'iof this systemcf givendimensions is a function of the necessary time of stay of the fuel inside it. This time is reduced, as has already been explained, to a minimum, due to the fact that, on one hand, th fuel 5 is carbonized into rains of small dimensions, and, on the other hand, due to the very peculiar conditions under which it is submitted to the action ofheat. 1 V

The necessary time of stay determines the speed of translation to be applied to the fuel on the conveyor; the latter can be adjusted by the slant given to the elements of the conveyor andbyithe characteristics of the vibration imparted to it (amplitude and frequency). I A device, thus comprising, in principle, a vibrating conveyor enclosed within a chamber can beused for: other uses, especially for preoxidizing the meltable coal.

In this case, the cell may be heated either from 2 the outside or from insideby a circulation of gases at an appropriate temperatu e;

Numerous modi cations riray; be, made to; I, above descr'ibed'oven without exceeding the'scope" oftheinventiorr, e V ,7 Inparticular (Figure 4)", V the conveyors 5i), 5 I

5?,- 53, at and 55 may be suspended byjmeans of flat side irons'from the airls, 56; '1fiiese flat irons comprise an articulation '51 allowing, a ,fizontal vibration of the whole. I 36 controlled :by a" rod 58' which, by

fifi isfiiied or'r a cross piece'co I: a merits of the conveyor; This attaclim easily be released for dismantling. I f To ensure the tightness, afiexible metal sheet '60 is fixed on'one' hand to afralfiiqon t e other hand to'rod 58; This metal sheet B0 is protected bya refractory sleeve 6T .1 I

The vibrating moti'cn' is centre vi'c'e'BZ". Itis" balanced by s v may rest on a fixed dross p e e155; dev ce makes it possible toji fibartto t ewrmie j conveyora vibration which; tmsti'iiie, isf zontal.

meret nsupp'er enerrdnrsard 11511 i discharging fuerat its" me" end in c s id outlet means; avibrator operatively" connected tojls'a d 'cl'iutefor" transmitting" Vibrations ut'o bQtH the chute and the fuel in the chute, said vibrator imparting. req ency which asses the fuelflto travel down the chute as" a suspension just above said" chute; distillate" take 'o'ff mea'ns rojr reificv 60 ing the distillate from the fuel in's aid chute and from said chamber, and heating means" for said chamberandsai'd chute. v V a 2-.- fifuelde'volatili'z'ing apparatus comprisifig'an enclosed refractory chamber; aifuel inletimeansj inthe'iup'perpdrtiorfdfsaidghambei"; a fuelout? let mean in he w rt r io iof a rcha an'up'warcll'y' pjfn uer 'onveyinfand'devo 3111112 chute extend ng between said inlet and out let means 'and'sloping downwar l macho-circus. V path," receiving fuel atitjsfllll per e'nd frbmis inlet-means and discharging fuel" at" itsjlow'er' end into said outlet means; a vibrator operatiily" connected-"t6 said chute for transmitting vertical vibrations to both the chu'te ena tne dewnwar 'v-[ moving fuel tdimfia'rtwa hopping td' 'tl 'l' fuel particles causing the particles to travel down the chute as a suspension just above said chute; distillate take-off means for removing the distillate from the fuel in said chute and from said chamber, and heating means for said chute.

3. A fuel devolatilizing apparatus comprising an enclosed refractory chamber; a fuel inlet means in the upper portion of said chamber; a fuel outlet means in the lower portion of said chamher; a fuel conveying and devolatilizing chute extending between said inlet and outlet means and sloping downwardly in a circuitous path, receiving fuel at its upper end from said inlet means and discharging fuel at its lower end into said outlet means; a vibrator mounted outside said chamber; means passing thru a wall of said chamber and connected to both said vibrator and said chute, for transmitting vibrations to both the chute and the fuel in the chute, said vibrator imparting a frequency which causes the fuel to travel down the chute as a suspension just above said chute, distillate take-011 means for removing the distillate from the fuel in said chute and from said chamber, and indirect heating means for said chamber and said chute.

4. A fuel devolatilizing apparatus comprising an enclosed refractory chamber; a fuel inlet means in the upper portion of said chamber; a fuel outlet means in the lower portion of said chamber; an upwardly open fuel conveying and devolatilizing chute extending between said inlet and outlet means and sloping downwardly in a circuitous path, receiving fuel at its upper end from said inlet means and discharging at its lower end into said outlet means, said chute being removably suspended in said chamber; a vibrator mounted outside said chamber and operatively connected to said chute for transmitting vertical vibrations to both the chute and the downwardly moving fuel to impart a hopping motion to the fuel particles causing the particles to travel down the chute as a suspension just above said chute; distillate take-off means for removing the distillate from the fuel in said chute and from said chamber, and indirect heating means for said chamber and said chute.

6 5. A coal devolatilizing apparatus comprising an enclosed refractory chamber; a coal-inlet means in a top wall of said chamber; a devolatilized coal outlet means in a bottom wall of said chamber; a coal conveying and devolatilizing chute extending between said inlet and outlet means and formed in a zig zag shape, receiving material at its upper end from said inlet means and discharging at its lower end into said outlet means; an electromagnetic vibrator mounted outside said chamber; means passing through said wall and connected to both said vibrator and said chute for transmitting vibrations to both the chute and the coal in the chute, said vibrator imparting a frequency which causes the coal to travel down the chute as a suspension just above said chute; distillate take-off means for removing the distillate from the coal in said chute and from said chamber, and heating means for said chamber and said chute, heating the coal passing down the chute by indirect heat exchange.

DANIEL PETIT.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,167,915 Morey et a1 Jan. 11, 1916 1,426,648 Johns Aug. 22, 1922 1,536,831 Ekstedt May 5, 1925 1,564,271 Pope Dec. 8, 1925 1,611,098 Borner Dec. 14, 1926 1,712,082 Koppers May 7, 1929 1,770,081 McCoy et a1. July 8, 1930 1,802,959 Simonds Apr. 28, 1931 1,950,558 Karrick Mar. 13, 1934 2,039,081 Illingworth Apr. 28, 1936 2,094,785 Flint Oct. 5, 1937 2,094,786 Flint Oct. 5, 1937 2,246,024 Vogel-Jorgensen June 17, 1941 2,349,387 Storrs May 23, 1944 2,525,051 Storrs Oct. 10, 1950 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 634,247 France Apr. 28, 1927 

1. A FUEL DEVOLATILIZING APPARATUS COMPRISING AN ENCLOSED REFRACTORY CHAMBER; A FUEL INLET MEANS IN THE UPPER PORTION OF SAID CHAMBER; A FUEL OUTLET MEANS IN THE LOWER PORTION OF SAID CHAMBER; A FUEL CONVEYING AND DEVOLATILIZING CHUTE EXTENDING BETWEEN SAID INLET AND OUTLET MEANS AND SLOPING IN A DOWNWARD CIRCUITOUS PATH, RECEIVING FUEL AT ITS UPPER END FROM SAID INLET MEANS AND DISCHARGING FUEL AT ITS LOWER END INTO SAID OUTLET MEANS; A VIBRATOR OPERATIVELY CONNECTED TO SAID 